I would have loved to have seen two of the best females get back on the track and square up for $5 million. It would have had the feeling of Seabiscuit and War Admiral. But, I guess we’ll just have to wonder what would have been.

It was confirmed that Rachel Alexandra would not run in the Apple Blossom. The race was bumped up to a swelled $5 million purse, if both showed up to run. But, it looks like it will be back to the original $500,000.

Steve Asmussen was taking this really heavy. I spoke to a friend of mine who was on-track doing newspaper notes work.  He thought it was going to be the best racing weekend of his life. But when they were turning for home, he knew things were about to get tense.

Mr. Asmussen said he would never have sent out a runner who was not ready. When Calvin Borel was interviewed during the day, you would have thought the day was going to be all downhill running for the gal. It looked too easy… There was plenty of time off, and who knows? Maybe she did need one….

The good part was that she came back in good order. I think they will drop back and re-think her course in racing. It is so hard to keep a finely tuned blade to that level of sharpness. Even Zenyatta didn’t have the cleanest of trips, but she looked so good, it was hard to believe that she missed a day.

Racing sure could have used this race. The fans were coming back, and the gals were being mentioned with the all-time greats. Oaklawn Park and surrounding areas were worried about accommodating the crowds. But that is all gone. The race will still be great, but it won’t have that needed boost of star power. The game sure could have used a boost. It would have been nice to have witnessed this event. It would have been great to bring new faces to our sport. It would have been many things, but not anymore. I guess racing will just have to wait…

At this moment, I am watching Gulfstream Park run in a quagmire. Now, that is likely to change by the morning, and now more than ever, I would advise you to check the weather and change the track condition tab if needed. But, I digress… I do like some plays on the Saturday card.  Funny thing happens on the way to window. When the big races come out, we make our way to windows.

Tampa Bay

Race #11 – The Tampa Bay Derby

This race is a burrito of options. At first glance, you would love #6 Super Saver, who will offer low odds. That is fine, and he has been bred to enjoy the off-going. I see him to be vulnerable. I don’t want the small odds here. I will wait until he runs at Churchill, and I should do better at the window.

Go one more post out, and I think you have the winner. #7 Odysseus looks very good to me.  Rajiv Maragh is in the saddle for Thom Albertrani. He is winning at 20% at TBD, and Maragh is 1/1 with wins as a ship-in rider. Triple Crown nominated, and was purchased for $250,000 at the Ocala sale. Third time off a layoff, and getting better with each effort. OC – 75,000 is a very tough level. He romped by 15, and had more in the tank. On the morning line he is 7-2, and I see this or more when the gates break. Super Saver looks the real deal, and I think if all goes well, we will be seeing him the first Saturday in May.

Maragh is an underrated rider, and he just had a milestone victory of win number 1,000. Give him time, and you will see a fine career. He sits very well in the saddle, and you will always get your money’s worth when he rides.

This is not the biggest upset in the history of racing if he wins, but he looks good. I think many stables do not want to open up peak too soon. S.S. is a nice animal, but I am hoping to see another strut his stuff to get his picture taken.

I would have had a few Gulfstream runners for you, but after they canceled, I am waiting and watching. Be sure to utilize the change of track condition tab before you download your data. The track crew is the best in the world, and who knows what Mother Nature holds. I would watch and wait, and be sure to check your scratches as WinningPonies is a one-stop shop for all of your information.

Proceed with caution, and enjoy the day of races. Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta are running, and you will want to download data to make your multi-race exotics one-step smaller. It would be plain bad if you rooted against the gals. I want to see them hook-up for $5 million in the Apple Blossom, and Saturday kicks it all off. So, buckle up and get ready. A big day is heading your way.

Good luck!

Ten Florida Derby winners during the past 54 years have won the Kentucky Derby. The first was Nashua in 1955 and the last was Big Brown in ‘08.

But nary a 3-year-old who triumphed in Gulfstream Park’s premier stakes race, scheduled for March 20, captured the Triple Crown. In ‘56, Needles came the closest. The Florida Derby winner, named for being inoculated often as a sickly foal, defeated Fabius by three-quarters of a length in the Kentucky Derby – the first victorious Florida bred.

But Fabius, eighth in the Florida Derby, upset Needles in the Preakness by three-quarters of a length. Needles took the Belmont Stakes while Fabius finished third.

The previous year, Swaps cost Nashua the Triple Crown by winning the Kentucky Derby by 1 1/2 lengths. In ‘58, Tim Tam missed out, finishing second in the Belmont to Cavan, with a broken bone in the joint between the knee and the hoof. In ‘68, Forward Pass lost by 1 1/4 lengths to State Door Johnny in the Belmont.

I witnessed my first Florida Derby in ‘57 a year after graduating the University of Miami. Gen. Duke defeated Bold Ruler by 1 1/2 lengths and set the stakes record of 1:46 4/5 for the 1 1/8 miles, which was recognized until several years ago, when the main track was expanded.

However, Quality Road’s winning performance in last year’s edition was a full second off Gen. Duke’s time. Even Quality Road’s track record victory in this year’s Donn Handicap was three-fifths of a second off the Calumet Farms’ horse 53 years ago.

On the eve of the 83rd Kentucky Derby, the son of Bull Lea came up lame and was scratched. Gallant Man was on his way to victory at Churchill Downs when Bill Shoemaker misjudged the finish line and Iron Liege won by a nose.

Bold Ruler took the Preakness and Gallant Man captured the Belmont. Gen. Duke later developed the spinal affliction known as wobbles and died.

The most exciting Florida Derby I witnessed came in ‘95, when favored Suave Prospect clashed with Thunder Gulch. It was a rematch following Thunder Gulch’s neck victory in the Fountain of Youth. The winner paid a generous $11.40.

In the Florida Derby, Suave Prospect was part of a three-horse entry, favored over Thunder Gulch on my birthday, March 11. Jerry Bailey, back aboard Suave Prospect, was hotter than the summer South Florida heat, scoring repeatedly. Mike Smith returned on Thunder Gulch.

Both horses stalked pacesetters to the far turn. Then Bailey gunned Suave Prospect from fourth to take the lead in the upper stretch by 1 1/2 lengths. But under Smith’s strong handling, Thunder Gulch wore down Suave Prospect, prevailed by a nose and paid $6.

After finishing a disappointing fourth in the Blue Grass Stakes, Thunder Gulch went off at 25-1 and, with Gary Stevens aboard, edged Tejano Run, ridden by Bailey, in the 121st Kentucky Derby. Suave Prospect, guided by Julie Krone, ran 11th while Smith’s mount, Talkin Man, finished 12th.

Eskendereya and Jackson Bend, the 1-2 finishers in this year’s Fountain of Youth, are on track for a rematch in the 59th Florida Derby. How exciting it will be is in the hands of the racing gods.

How a 3-year-old runs in Gulfstream Park’s second oldest stakes race often foretells a good showing in the Florida Derby.

Five of the past 15 Fountain of Youth (FOY) winners repeated in the track’s premier offering: Quality Road, last year; Scat Daddy, 2007; High Fly, ‘05; Vicar, ‘99; and Thunder Gulch, ‘95.

Since ‘79, only Spectacular Bid and Thunder Gulch scored the triple, taking the FOY, Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby. However, FOY runners-up Go for Gin, ‘94, and Pleasant Colony, ‘81, plus third-place finishers Unbridled, ‘90, and Swale, ‘84, were successful on the first Saturday in May.

The first FOY winner to capture the Florida and Kentucky derbies was Tim Tam in ‘58.

Saturday’s 64th running of the $250,000 Grade 2 has been lengthened to 1 1/8 miles from last year’s a mile, the sixth different distance since favored Twenty Thirty won the inaugural at 1 1/16 miles in 1945 during Gulfstream’s third season. The purse: $5,000.

The Florida Derby prep was not run in ‘46 and ‘48, but twice in ‘47. After missing ‘52, it has been held each year since ‘53, when it was divided into two divisions for the first time.

This year’s race features several sophomore standouts, including Holy Bull runner-up Jackson Bend, who drilled four furlongs in 47 seconds on Feb. 13, the fastest of 42 works at the Palm Meadows Training Center.

Trainer Nick Zito has Jackson Bend on a similar path to Louisville as he did with his previous Kentucky Derby winners four years apart in the ’90s.

In ‘91, Strike the Gold was runner-up in a Gulfstream allowance race before finishing second to Fly So Free in the Florida Derby. Then the son of Alydar won the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland before capturing the 117th Kentucky Derby by 1 3/4 lengths over Best Pal.

In ‘94, Zito’s Go for Gin was second in the FOY before finishing out of the money to Holy Bull in the Florida Derby. Then the son of Comorant ran second to Irgun in the Wood Memorial before leading all the way on a sloppy Churchill Downs surface, defeating Strodes Creek by two lengths.

Trainer Todd Pletcher may send out two contenders: stakes-winning Eskendereya, who captured a Gulfstream allowance contest last month, and Aikenite, a troubled sixth in the Holy Bull.

A top contender is Buddy’s Saint, winner of the Grade 2 Remsen by nearly five lengths on Nov. 28, who has been training gangbusters at Gulfstream. The son of Saint Liam breezed six furlongs in 1:13 2/5 in his eighth work since the first of the year.
Other expected runners are Pleasant Prince and Positive Split, second and third respectively in an allowance race last month. Pleasant Prince went five furlongs in 1:00 1/5 handily at Gulfstream on Sunday while Positive Split covered the same distance on a muddy surface in a minute handily a day earlier.

Pulsion, runner-up to leading 3-year-old Lookin at Lucky in the Norfolk Stakes last fall at Oak Tre, before finishing 11th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, zipped six furlongs in 1:11 handily on Feb. 9.

Lost Aptitude, trying dirt for the first time after three victories on the turf, breezed five furlongs in 1:02 3/5 on Monday.

Two horses nominated for the FOY are heading to Fair Grounds for Saturday’s $300,000 Risen Star Stakes at 1 1/16 miles: Drosselmeyer and Tempted to Tapit.

Drosselmeyer has hit the board in all five starts, posting an impressive triumph in a Gulfstream allowance race at 1 1/8 miles in January. Tempted to Tapit broke his maiden last month by 11 1/2 lengths at a mile in the mud at Aqueduct.

The field for the Grade 2 is headed by Lecomte Stakes winner Ron the Greek, the morning line favorite with three victories in four starts. Others in the full field are Pletcher trainee Discreetly Mine, runner-up last year in two stakes at Belmont, and Stay Put, an allowance winner Feb. 1 at Fair Grounds.

This past weekend at Aqueduct, we saw a very nice three-year-old run in the $100,000 Whirlaway Stakes. It was a compact field headed by an overwhelming favorite Eightyfiveinafifty.

I was glued to the screen when, after breaking well and getting in a roll, the first turn was the place where this baby bolted and went through the outer rail. It looked as if his career would be over before it even started. He finished his last race with an impressive 17 plus length victory. It had people calling from all over the world to pony up million dollar offers to get a shot in May.

After seeing Jorge Chavez taken out wide after struggling wildly, I thought for sure it was over for him. I watched Peppi Knows roll into the winner’s circle, and I never gave it any more thought as I began to feel he was done.

Chavez told trainer Gary Contessa that his runner broke his bit, and and he had no control. Eightyfiveinafifty received a small cut on right hind leg. This was after he broke through the outer rail and made his way onto the main track. He jumped the outer rail and was caught by a guard on his way back to the barn. It sounds to me he did get a workout.

Dismiss this race. He did nothing wrong, and if you called with the offers before, you may want to call again. If you wait one more race to see if all is well, then that $2 million you were going to offer will now be $10 million. I think we have seen a very nice runner after a maiden break, and with the short running history of many three-year-olds today, I feel you may want to get on the bus while you can.

Chavez will be back riding this week, and the horse will mend this minor injury. You just need to keep notes on this, and get ready to see the next race. It may a nice opportunity to see him in a stakes race to prepare for the big time.

I haven’t seen much of this in my time at the track, but you can bet he will be looked over with a fine tooth comb next out. Things do happen, but I would bet dollars to donuts that you will not see it next out.

I saw my first Holy Bull Stakes when it was called the Preview Stakes in the early 1990s. I especially remember the ‘94 renewal when Go for Gin defeated Halo’s Image and ran the fastest time for 14 of the races staged at 1 1/16 miles – 1:41 3/5.

Holy Bull swallowed his palate and finished off the board. But the loser had surgery and bounced back in the Florida Derby, winning by 5 3/4 lengths, while Go for Gin was fourth.

The Gulfstream Park race might have been called the Go for Gin after he captured the 120th Kentucky Derby while Holy Bull was finishing 12th after breaking slowly, being carried very wide in the slop and tiring badly.

After missing the remaining two legs of the Triple Crown in which Go for Gin was the runner-up, Holy Bull reeled off five consecutive victories in graded stakes, earning top 3-year-old honors and Horse of the Year.

Saturday’s 21st renewal, shortened to a mile from 1 1/8 miles, has attracted seven starters while as many as three more might run.

However, the trainers are better known than the 3-year-olds in this Grade 3 worth $150,000. Two did run in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, but finished off the board.

Rick Sacco’s Piscitelli set the pace on Nov. 7 at Santa Anita before fading to fourth beaten three-quarters of a length. Todd Pletcher’s Aikenite was steadied in mid-stretch and ended up fifth another 1 3/4 lengths back.

Piscitelli, who broke his maiden at a mile last summer, worked five furlongs in 1:01 1/5 at Gulfstream’s Palm Meadows training facility on Jan. 15. The son of Victory Gallop galloped out six furlongs in 1:12 3/5 with his BC rider Kent Desormeaux aboard.

Aikenite, who also broke his maiden last summer at seven furlongs, posted a bullet work of 59 4/5 handily for five furlongs at Palm Meadows on Sunday. Jockey Alan Garcia gives way to John Velazquez who rode the son of Yes It’s True in his winning debut at Saratoga.

However, the likely favorite will be Nick Zito’s Jackson Bend, with six victories and a second at Calder Race Course where he swept the Florida Stallion Stakes three-race series.

The son Hear No Evil, a four-time stakes winner with five straight wins, went five furlongs in a bullet 59 1/5 at Palm Meadows last Saturday.

Others slated to go:

Richard Dutrow’s Homeboykris, winner of the Champagne Stakes with Edgar Prado in the irons at a mile last fall at Belmont. The son of Roman Ruler breezed four furlongs in 48 1/5 at Gulfstream on Tuesday.

Richard Violette’s Litigation Risk, who broke his maiden last fall at Belmont, breezed five furlongs on a good Palm Meadows surface in 1:03 1/5 on Monday. His sire Closing Argument won the Holy Bull in ‘05.

Marty Wolfson’s Thank U Philippe, who broke his maiden at Calder where he was in the money four of six times, was runner up to Jackson Bend in the Florida Stallion’s In Reality. The son of Proud Accolade was runner-up to Eskendereya in a Gulfstream allowance contest Jan. 7.

Anthony Dutrow’s Winslow Homer is seeking his third consecutive triumph after a third-place finish. The son of Unbridled’s Song breezed four furlongs in 50 1/5 on a good track at Palm Meadows Sunday.

Three possible starters include Michael Trombetta’s Wild Lime, with two victories in four sprints all at different tracks. The son of Limehouse breezed four furlongs in 49 seconds at Calder on Sunday.

This week actually began with quality racing on Thursday (Thanksgiving Day) through Sunday. We will give you a glimpse of some of the best races that the tracks had to offer.

We will begin our national recap with Aqueduct.

Thursday - The Fall High Weight Handicap / G-3 – Cherokee Country made a strong finish down the lane to win by 1/2 length. He was ridden by Jose Lezcano, and paid $26.20.

Friday - The Top Flight Handicap / G-2 – Sara Louise held off the charge of the pack down the lane to pay $3.40.

Saturday - The Demoiselle Stakes / G-2 – Tizahit, under the guidance of Edgar Prado, reacted under right hand urging to win by a length and pay $7.90.

The Remson Stakes / G-2 – This race was for two-year-olds, and Buddy Saint wins by a decisive 4 3/4 lengths down the lane under Jose Lezcano to pay $3.50.

The Gazelle Stakes / G-1 – Flashing goes from flag fall to that’s all under the well-timed hand of Richard Migliore to pay $8.50 to win.

The Hill n Dale Cigar Mile / G-1 – This prize goes to Kodiak Kowboy, who was boxed in, and dug in deep and gets his picture taken under Shaun Bridgmohan to pay $8.70.

Churchill Downs

Thursday – Falls City Handicap / G-2 – Seranading goes on to victory, stalking the pace to win under the ride of Julien Leparoux to pay $11.60.

Friday -  The River Hills / G-3 – Rahystrada, under the hold of Leandro Concalves, hits home and lights up the board paying a whopping $115.80.

The Clark Handicap / G-2 – The winner was Blame, under the hand of Jamie Theriot. He traveled five wide, and conquered the field to pay $10.80.

Saturday -  The Grand Canyon Handicap – The entire card, dedicated for two-year-old races, was called the “Stars of Tomorrow.” The 1 1/16th on the turf was taken by Lost Aptitude, under the whip of Jon Court. Court stayed close to the rail, and guided home a winner to pay $6.40.

The Golden Rod Stakes / G-2 – Sassy Image made a four wide move, which proved to be the perfect course to the winner’s circle. Robby Alabardo was the pilot paying $4.60.

The Caressing Stakes - Calvin Borel came off the rail and went 3-4 wide away from the rail and scored with Sheer Beauty, paying $18.20 to win.

The Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes – Once again, Calvin Borel found his way into the winner’s circle. Borel went back to the rail and jumped on the hook. He guided Super Saver to the win to pay $6.80.

Turfway Park

The Holiday Inaugural Stakes – Opening day was Sunday afternoon, and the track kicked off action with a $50,000 stake. The winner was Coy Cat, under Larry Sterling, who closed stoutly to pay $30.60.

Hollywood Park

Friday – The Citation Handicap / G-1 – This race was a part of the turf festival that took place over three days at Hollywood Park.  Bobby Frankel was smiling down on his longtime assistant Humberto Ascenia. This race went to Fluke, and the finish was anything but that. He made a bid between runners, and never looked back until he came back to the winner’s circle. Fluke paid $20.00 to win.

Saturday - The Generous Stakes / G-3 – The victor was a stalking, well-timed Who’s Up, under Victor Espinoza paying $21.80.

The Matriarch Stakes / G-1 – The winner was not a surprise at all. Ventura was the odds-on favorite, who stayed third and made a pouncing move to take down the cash. Once again, Humberto Ascneia, Bobby Frankel’s longtime assistant, scored this victory. The crowd backed this sentimental play heavily at the windows, and Garrett Gomez did not disappoint on this mare once again.

Sunday

The Miesque Stakes / G-3 – A three wide bid by The Mailet was the winner’s move. Under the guidance of Joel Rosario, this two-year-old filly making her wide bid, paid a nice $25.40.

The Hollywood Derby / G-1 – The Usual Q.T. made a wide bid entering the stretch, and gets the job done.  Victor Espinoza knows the lay of the land, and is no stranger to the winner’s circle. The Usual Q.T paid $11.40 to win.

The Cigar Mile, named for the top money-winning thoroughbred for a decade, has attracted several contenders that raced at the distance only once.

Well, Cigar ran a mile on the dirt only twice in his 33-race career, both times at Aqueduct where the Grade 1 has been held except for 1993 since debuting in ‘88 as the NYRA Mile. He won by seven lengths on Nov. 26, 1994, a month after taking an allowance race by eight lengths.

Those two victories were the start of a 16-race winning streak that equaled Citation’s modern-day North American record. The son of Palace Music retired in ‘96 with earnings of $9,999, 813. When Curlin retired in ‘08, his earnings topped $10.5 million.

The main combatants have raced at distances from six furlongs to 1 1/4 miles.

Vineyard Haven and Kodiak Kowboy, top contenders in Saturday’s renewal, have finished first and fifth respectively in their only outings on American tracks at a mile. Kodiak Kowboy won last time out in six-furlong Vosburgh.

Three-year-old Vineyard Haven, seeking his third straight win, defeated Munnings by 5 3/4 lengths last fall in Belmont’s Champagne Stakes.

Trainer Todd Pletcher, gunning for a record four triumphs, will send out Munnings and Quality Road, who won the ‘09 Fountain of Youth Stakes at eight furlongs at Gulfstream Park.

“I think Munnings gets a mile, no problem,” Pletcher told Brisnet.com. If you look back at his Haskell at a mile and an eighth (on a sloppy surface at Monmouth), he was right there at the eighth pole, and was just beaten by Summer Bird. Obviously, Rachel Alexandra was an impressive winner, but I felt he held his own pretty well.”

The son of Speightstown also ran third in a pair of sprint stakes in the slop since August: the Vosburgh at Belmont and the King’s Bishop at Saratoga.

Meanwhile, Quality Road went through extensive schooling at Aqueduct without incident, Pletcher said, and breezed a half-mile in 50 4/5 last Saturday. The son of Elusive Quality “worked well and he came out of it well,” he said.

Quality Road was scratched from the Breeders’ Cup Classic after acting up while being loaded into the gate. He hasn’t raced since Oct. 3 when he finished second to Summer Bird in the 1 1/4-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup in the slop at Belmont.

Only Congaree won back-to-back races in ‘04 and ‘05, giving trainer Bob Baffert his second and third scores. The best time was recorded in ‘06 by Discreet Cat: 1:32 2/5.

Other contenders in the 19th Cigar Mile are:

Pyro – The 4-year-old son of Pulpit last won the Forego at seven furlongs, but only finished second in three trips at eight furlongs.

Tizway – He is 2-1-0 of 4 at a mile, including an Aqueduct allowance race victory back in April. The 4-year-old son of double BC Classic Tiznow finished third in the Gold Cup.

Bribon – The 6-year-old as the most experience at the distance: 6-2-1 in 14 outings. The French-bred is 2 for 3 at Aqueduct, finishing third in last year’s Cigar Mile.

Gulfstream Park played musical stakes six weeks before its 68th season opens on Sunday, Jan. 3. It involves the much-heralded Run for the Roses.

Back in August, track officials announced the stakes schedule, which had the 59th Florida Derby tabbed for March 27, five Saturdays before the Kentucky Derby. But in November it was moved back to March 20, most likely to avoid conflicting with another traditional Derby prep, the Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds.

In turn, the $250,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes, usually held four weeks before the $750,000 Florida Derby, was reset for Feb. 20. Meanwhile, the Fountain of Youth will return to 1 1/8 miles from a mile, the same distance as the Florida Derby.

The $150,000 Holy Bull Stakes, staged at 1 1/8 miles the past two renewals, will revert back to a mile on Jan. 23.

“Gulfstream Park’s well-diversified racing program is universally well known, but the accent, for the owners, trainers and jockeys as well as the racing public, has always been on the development of 3-year-olds as they prepare for the Triple Crown,” said Kenn Dunn, new track president and general manager that guided Calder for many years.

“Fixing the date of the Florida Derby six weeks ahead of the Kentucky Derby puts the Florida Derby front and center in the consciousness of the American racing public,” Dunn explained.

Several trainers, however, voiced their displeasure with the change. Todd Pletcher, whose Scat Daddy won the Florida Derby in 2007, told the Daily Racing Form:

“I actually preferred it and thought the Florida Derby worked very well where it was . . . although I don’t think it would change my position if I had a 3-year-old who’d run well there.

“Every horse is an individual case, so it’s hard to say exactly what plans we might have at this point, although having the Louisiana Derby as an option five weeks out from the Kentucky Derby could certainly impact the situation.”

Thirty-nine horses than came out of the Florida Derby have captured 54 Triple Crown races, winning 21 times at Churchill Downs.

Another major change turns the first Saturday of the 79-day meeting into an afternoon of sprints featuring five stakes with purses totaling $475,000.

In all, 45 stakes, including 31 graded contests, are worth nearly $8 million. All but one is valued at $100,000 each.

Gulfstream purses were steadily hiked entering the 21st Century often exceeding $8 million. The number of stakes ranged from 41 to 47, with more than 30 graded contests annually.

In ‘07, the 45 stakes were one less than the previous year, but purses were $1 million more than the previous year. Total value: a record $9.25 million.

In ‘08, a record 48 stakes, worth $8.5 million, were staged. All but six stakes were valued at $100,000 or higher.

Last year’s opening day crowd on a Saturday surprised track offocials – it was the largest since ‘04. Based on concession figures and wagering, the estimated turnout exceeded 15,000.

However, Gulfstream no longer gives out official attendance figures since it doesn’t charge admission to the track or casino, which opened in ‘06.

If you tuned into the Internet show on Thursday, you would have heard the talk about Champs Elysees… Anybody can toot their horn and this is not the case. We were hoping that you jumped on the bandwagon and got to see his last race in style….

Champs Elysees is a runner, flat and simple, and pure to the point. Last race out was tough, even for the best to overcome. You can chalk it up to trip handicapping and a whole lot of money lost. Hopefully, you dug into the tier levels and walked off a winner.

Garrett Gomez looked like he was riding with a little more effort than usual…He always gives a great ride, and is a money rider to say the least. But today, something seemed a little more at stake.

Juddmonte had to be happy with this ride by Gomez. The half time quickened up a bit, and he settled his runner to the back of the pack. He was content to see the others burn up on the front end, and wait for the patented ride of Gomez to pounce within the final quarter of a mile. He did a picture perfect angling out job, and got to work the last 300 yards. To me this was a great way to walk off to the shed row, if that is to be the plan. The real surprise to me was that he was 5-2. I thought there would be a margin of 8-5 /2-1 at best , but the public may have missed that last traffic filled race.

ESPN with Jerry Bailey mentioned that trainer Bobby Frankel was ill, and no matter where he was watching the race, that had to be a “picker-upper.”

Everybody was a winner who owned, trained, and rode this guy for the winner’s share of a whopping $1,927,556 purse. That does not even take in the amount wagered, or lack thereof, for a sweet payoff. I guess a trip to the breeding shed will give us years of enjoyment watching little “Champs” do their bidding…